Catherine Ashton - Responsibilities As High Representative of The Union For Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Responsibilities As High Representative of The Union For Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Further information: High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

As High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, a post that was combined with Vice-President of the European Commission, Ashton was elected by the Heads of State and Government of the 27 European Union countries at a summit in Brussels.

Besides representing the EU at international forums and coordinating the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy, the High Representative also:

• As Vice-President of the European Commission, she participates in the weekly meeting of the European Commission.
• Participates in the meetings of the European Council, where all EU leaders meet.
• Is head of the European External Action Service
• Responsible for the European Union Special Representatives
• President of the Foreign Affairs Council
• President of the European Defence Agency
• Chair of the board of the European Union Institute for Security Studies

During her term in office she and her team have given priority to a number of European and global issues. These include:

• Participation in the Quartet negotiations on the Middle East Peace Process
• Leading European negotiations with Iran over its controversial Nuclear programme
• Responding to the Arab Spring with a new European Neighbourhood Policy (May 2011), to provide funding and market access to North Africa
• Supporting democratic forces in Libya by opening an EU office in Benghazi in May 2011 and supporting the National Transitional Council
• Building a European consensus to establish sanctions against the Assad regime in Syria
• Strengthening relations with the EU’s Strategic Partners such as the US, Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa
• In the Balkans, forging renewed talks between Serbs and Kosovars (“Belgrade-Pristina" dialogue)
• Negotiating an upgraded status for the EU at the UN as foreseen under the Lisbon Treaty
• Establishing the European External Action Service (1 December 2010), which merged the external relations departments of the European Commission, Council of the European Union, and will have diplomats seconded from national foreign services.